Lap or game board



(No Model.)

W. WHITE. LAP 0R GAME BOARD.

No. 581.897.` Patented May 4, 18917.

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Niinn rains IVILLARD IVHITE, `0F MALDEN, MASSACHUSEHTS, ASSIGN OR TO JOSEPH M. GAZZAM, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

LAP 0R GAME BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 581,897, dated May 4, 1897".

. Application tiled December 2, 1896. Serial N0- 6141153- (N0 model-l T0 @ZZ whom it may concern/.5`

Be it known that I, WILLARDWHITE, of Malden, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Lap or Game Boards, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and iigures on the drawings representing like parts. l

This invention has for its object the production of a novel lap or game board.

My improved board is composed of a flexible top, preferably of textile material, connected to a jointed metallic frame capable of holding the top stretched for use, the said frame being also capable of being readily disconnected at certain joints therein to enable the frame to be both shortened and to be rolled up with the top into a compact mass shorter than the length of the board.

In my invention the top will preferably be provided with pockets at its edge to receive parts of the jointed frame, and the said frame is of such construction, as will be hereinafter described, that when opened or put together to use the board it will be thoroughly braced and made stiff.

I desire it to be understood that my improved board will most commonlybe held in the lap, and while adapted for game purposes it may be otherwise used without departing from my invention.

Figure l is a top or plan view of my improved board with the top stretched in condition for use. Fig. 2 shows the under side of the board, the pockets in the top being partially broken out.

The top A will preferably be composed of textile material, such as canvas, upon which may be printed, if desired, a series of squares ct for checkers, chess, &c., and so also this top may be provided with a series of eyelets, as b, to thus leave holes in which may be inserted pegs when it is desired to play, for instance, cribbage. The opposite edges of the top are herein shown as folded in upon themselves to constitute pockets a2 and d3.

The frame consists, essentially, of four side pieces or bars c c c2 o3, the bars c and o3 having two notches at their inner ends, as shown in Fig. 2, the notches being at opposite sides of the bar, said. notches engaging pins d d', connected with the bars c and c2. The bars o and c3 are connected together by bars e e', the latter bars being united by a pin 2 and by a headed stud 3 in the bar e entering a notch in the edge of the bar e. The inner ends of the barsc c3 have pivoted to them in like manner two bars e2 es, said bars being pivoted together by a pivot 4, the bar e3 having a headed stud 5, which enters a notch in the edge of the bar e2. The bars c and o2 are connected together bybars e4 e5, said bars being united loosely by a pin 6, the bar e4 hav ing a headed stud 7, which enters a notch in the edge of the bar e5. are shown as braced stiffly together to stretch the top and hold it in place for playing any game upon it.

To roll up the board, so that it will occupy but little space, I rst engage the bars e e e2 e3 e4 e5 and move them at their centers in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 2. The movement of the bars e2 e3 in the direction of the arrows, Fig. 2, results in carrying in toward the center of the board the bars c c on one side and o2 c3 on the other side, so that the outer ends of the bars c and c3 may be swung apart and thereby cause the slots in their inner ends to leave the pins d and d', thereby disconnecting the bars c and c2 from the bars lc and c3. The board may then be folded in the middle of its length, putting c and c over each other, and the bars e, e', e?, e3, e4, and e5 may be turned and brought into position substantially parallel with the bars c c c2 c3, and thereafter the top may be rolled upon itself, makingacompact bundle of substantially half the length of the board.

The bars o c o2 c3 are contained in the pockets made in the edge of the top, but the inner'ends of said bars, where the pins d d appear, are left uncovered. The slots and pins CZ d for uniting the ends of the side bars c c and o2 c3 form a detachable locking connection for said side bars, so that each side of the frame is composed of a plurality of pieces.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a gameboard, a frame composed of In Fig. 2 these bars IOO opposite side bars removably jointed together at their overlapping ends by means of notches formed respectively in the opposite edges of one of the overlapping ends, and pins d, d', projecting from the other overlapping ends to engage said notches, and a jointed brace made in two parts as e2, es, and connectedV to said side bars, combined with av Iiexible top connected with said side bars and adapted to be stretched from one to the other side bar when the brace is straightened.

2. A lap or game board, composed ofalexible top, having four pockets in opposite pairs, side bars in said pockets, said bars overlap ping in pairs between said pockets, one overlapping portion thereof having two opposite notches and the other overlapping portion thereof having two cooperating pins, a jointed connecting-bar e2, e3, pivotedy to said side bars between said pockets adjacent said.overlapping portions, and end connecting-bars, substantially as described.

3. Alap or game board, composed ofa flexible top, having four pockets in opposite pairs, side bars in said pockets, said bars overlapv ping in pairs between said pockets,one over- Q lapping portion thereof having two opposite notches and the other overlapping portion thereof having two cooperating pins, and a gjointed connecting-bar e2, c3, pivotally connected to said side bars between said pockets adjacent said overlapping portions, substanitially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLARD WHITE.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. GREGORY, LAURA. MANIX. 

